


remus visits surrey

by niamhies



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Mentioned James Potter, Mentioned Lily Evans Potter, Mentioned Sirius Black, as he should, harry potter missing moments, implied wolfstar, remus hates the tories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:56:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29511435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niamhies/pseuds/niamhies
Summary: on a walk through surrey, remus comes across a small family of three, and recognises them almost instantly.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	remus visits surrey

The wind blew wistfully across the small park somewhere in Surrey. Remus Lupin wasn’t quite sure where he was, just that he had found himself wondering through deserted streets in the early morning after Apparting in a secluded area where no one would see him. He took a seat on a bench, not far from a small family who were playing on the swing sets.

He took out his muggle newspaper – the Ministry would have a field day if anyone wondered around Muggle Britain with an edition of The Daily Prophet in their hands, for all to see – but promptly folded it as soon as he saw what was plastered across the front page. Section 28. 

Remus fought back a scowl, annoyed that he had spent his money on something he wasn’t even going to read. He thought about going to the nearest shop and buying a packet of cigarettes but decided against it after realising he probably didn’t have that much muggle money to spare and wasn’t in the mood to try and trick the cashier into taking the wrong sort of currency. It was a bad habit, he knew, but it wasn’t as if there was anyone left in his life that bothered to stop him.

He had long passed the years of anger and a desperate need for revenge. Now his brain had blocked most of his past out entirely, or at least that’s what Remus would like to have thought. He debated Apparating to his friend, Louis’, house – though maybe ‘friend’ wasn’t the correct term. Friend, fling, lover… Remus wasn’t sure. 

Though just as he was about to stand up and head to a deserted alleyway, Remus caught sight of a woman. She was very tall and very skinny and very familiar. She was sat on one of the benches across the park, watching her son apprehensively as he tried to climb up the slide. It took all of five seconds for Remus to put a name to the face, and when he did, he was sure his heart came to a miniature pause. 

It was almost certainly Petunia Evans – though Dursley now, he expected. He could never forget a face like that, one that was so unlike her sister’s that Remus used to have a hard time believing that they were remotely related. He hadn’t seen her in years, not since that last time she accompanied her parents in picking Lily up from King’s Cross, which was in their Fifth Year (well, unless you count the blurred photos of her that appeared in The Daily Prophet once in awhile, reporting a sighting of The Boy Who Lived). But while she had definitely aged, she still had a note of superiority on her face that reminded Remus of a certain someone’s mother. He refused to let his brain think the name, having had pushed it away all those years. 

Her son was very noisy and demanding as he ran over to his mother and snatched the football from her bag before running off with it.

Remus couldn’t quite believe it, the closest he had been to his past life before this moment was in January, where he had visited James and Lily Potter’s grave for what would have been her birthday. But then, neither of them were alive, compared to Petunia, who was sitting only a few metres away from him.

A thought occurred to him just then, a very distant name floating through his mind. Harry…

He had been sent to live with her, had he not? After everything that had happened, no parents, no grandparents, no Godfather… Harry Potter had been left with absolutely no one to look after him. It still pained Remus to this day, that he had not offered to take the child in – but how could he? He was a poor, gay, werewolf. He wasn’t safe in the Muggle or Wizarding World, really, with such targets on his back. He doubted he ever would’ve gotten custody anyway, what with Albus Dumbledore adamant Harry be sent to live with his only living relatives. Still, it didn’t make Remus regret his decision any less.

It didn’t take long for him to find him. The sight of messy, black hair was enough to turn Remus’s stomach over. He couldn’t quite believe his eyes.

Harry was sat on the floor, a mere few feet from his, pulling out the wild daffodils from the grass. His skin was brown, though lighter than James’s had been, and his hair was an exact replica of his father’s. It stuck up at the back, just as his had done, and he was quite sure that if he were to turn around, his eyes would match those of his late mother… But what struck Remus the most was how skinny the boy was.

He was clearly underweight, with his knees knobbly and elbows protruding out of his skin, whereas his cousin looked like a small Jabba the Hut. A bubble of anger rose through Remus. Was Dumbledore not keeping tabs on the family? Surely, he was, but why was he allowing this? Remus, who often had to skip meals in order to pay for the next months rent, looked healthier than him – and that was saying something. 

Remus hadn’t realised that he had been staring until Harry’s head looked up in his direction. He could see very clearly, the scar on his forehead, and his throat went dry. He should’ve known a scar like that wouldn’t fade easily, but to have a reminder of why he did not live with his parents, as most children do, cut on his forehead for all to see, was inexplicably cruel. Remus wondered if Harry knew why he lived with his Aunt, though after all the times Lily had complained about her sister and her complete fear for magic, he wouldn’t be surprised if she had made up a story to keep him quiet and from asking too many questions. 

He’d find out one day, Remus told himself. He remembered when Harry showed his first signs of having magic when lifting their cat into the air at only a few months old. Everyone had been overjoyed, especially… _him _… Remus could never forget the look on his face – _his bright _and beaming smile that could make Remus’s heart stop. Was he working for the other side then, Remus thought bitterly. Peter hadn’t been there that night, he remembered, though couldn’t remember why...____

_____ _

Remus looked away from the small child, who’s bright eyes resembled his mother’s so deeply. He thought briefly, that he would sent a letter to Dumbledore when he got home, asking him what he was playing at. He stood up and pocketed his newspaper, Thatcher’s face folding in half. Remus couldn’t wait until she was voted out – stupid Tory.

_____ _

He glanced at Harry one last time, who was still watching him curiously. Remus mustered a smile, to which Harry returned a nervous one.

_____ _

“Scarhead, get my ball!”

_____ _

Harry jumped and looked over his shoulder to where his cousin stood, pointing to the ball in the middle of the road. Remus frowned and went over to pick it up before Harry was on his feet. He returned it back to the smaller boy and threw it lightly, to which Harry caught it with ease. Remus fought back a sad smile.

_____ _

“Thanks.” Harry muttered shyly, his brows furrowed as he looked at Remus’s robes.

_____ _

“It’s all right.” Remus managed to say, swallowing the lump in his throat. He wanted to say so much more, tell him that he knew his parents, that he knew him. But that would be foolish, and Dumbledore wouldn’t be happy, he knew. 

_____ _

Just before he turned his back on him, he caught the eyes of Petunia – who was watching the two of them from a distance. A very quick look of recognition passed over her face which told Remus she knew exactly who he was, so he nodded politely, fighting back all the nasty words he wanted to call her, and turned to walk away.

_____ _

It was very hard, leaving his best friend’s son there, when he knew he could give him a better life – not financially, but at least Remus would bother to love him as his own, which Petunia clearly was not doing. But with each step, the weight lifted and he managed to find a dark corner to Apparate in. 

_____ _

This wouldn’t be the last time he saw him, Remus knew that. And that fact was what convinced him to Disaparate. The last thing he saw being a small tabby cat with rectangular markings around its eyes.

_____ _

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone, hope you enjoyed reading this! i've been imagining a scenario like this in my head for years now and i hope i've done it justice by putting it into writing :)
> 
> also, i'd like to note that i condemn all of jk rowling's opinions towards trans women and trans people. if you share her opinions, please don't read any of my works, thanks.


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